Heroic Rescue
by Basched
Summary: Jayne Cobb saves the day. Rayne. Part of my Little Star series.


****_Author's Note: This was written for Ultra on her birthday. It is a one shot and will be part of my Little Star Series. You might want to read 'Excessive Measures' first, but it's not important if you do...it will just make more sense. Not beta'd but enjoy. _

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><p><strong>Heroic Rescue <strong>

He heard their screams before he saw what was going on.

Jayne scowered the complex and crowd and he immediately saw them and shortly after, the cause of their distress. He cursed under his breath and shoved the people nearest to him out of the way. He ignored their protests and began to barge through the crowd at full speed.

Jayne took out his gun and actually considered taking a shot, but as he kept running, as more _hun dans _got in his way, he knew that it would make things worse. Jayne tripped, his arm lashed out and he brought down three people who weren't quick enough to move.

Jayne yelled his usual obscenities as the screaming became more heightened. It was the only thing he could hear and it was heart wrenching. He was desperate now as he got to his feet and continued on his sprint through the crowd.

"Get out the gorram way!" he yelled, shoving a cart from his path and tipping it over. He felt some hands trying to subdue him, but he jerked away, his elbow impacting with someone's face.

The scream was making him hurt, it was so painful for him to hear that he became more than frantic. Jayne was desperate. This was a rescue mission he couldn't fail.

He yelled and bellowed for a clear path, but they still wouldn't listen. Maybe if he shot a few people?

His legs were beginning to hurt but it wasn't going to slow him down. A few Feds tried to apprehend him, but they would never bring him down. He floored one with a punch to his face, breaking his nose and the other he flipped over his back with a hefty throw before continuing on.

The scream was unbearable.

Jayne leapt up the stairs and he nearly collided with a man carrying a crate of live chickens, but Jayne turned round in a full circle and managed to avoid him. He was closer now, he was almost there but the rapid beating in his chest hadn't diminished, the panic and fear hadn't lessened.

"Jayne!"

Her voice cried out for him, he felt her own desperation in his mind. He leapt onto a stall, kicking and knocking the wares to the floor, and jumped from one stall to the other, somehow avoiding being tackled or taken down, before lunging up to grab the railing of the floor above. He swung to get a good foot hold and climbed along until he reached a pillar.

Then he pushed himself away from the railing and fell.

The screaming stopped and turned into happy squeals of laughter.

Jayne got to his feet and took out his gun to keep back the angry mob surrounding him.

"Ya wanna try it?" he warned, with a deep growl. They edged away and quickly went back to what they were doing.

"You got it! You got it!"

A happy joyous cry made Jayne turn and he smiled.

"Sure I got it. Wouldn't let my lil' star down now, would I?

The dark haired four year old clapped her hands with delight when Jayne handed her the piece of string. Her wide blue eyes gleamed now with tears of joy as she tugged on it and made the butterfly balloon bob in the air.

The pain and anguish in Jayne's chest finally disappeared and instead he swelled with pride and joy at seeing his daughter so happy in her mother's arms.

River smiled back to him and wiped the little pale face free from the tears and stroked at her long black tangled hair.

"Seren…what do you say to your father?" asked River as they began to walk back to the ship. The little girl was engrossed in the beauty of the balloon for a moment, gazing up at it in wonder and Jayne couldn't help marvelling how much like her mother she really was.

His daughter then looked round to him.

"_Xie xie, bàba _for rescuing my balloon!_"_

Seren blew Jayne a kiss which made him puff up even more with pride, but when River laughed, he scowled.

"Just don't be lettin' go of it again!" he sternly replied, jabbing a finger in daughter's direction. Seren smiled and grabbed hold of his finger to squeeze it. "You lose it and I sure as ruttin' hell won't retrieve it for ya! Instead I'll shoot it down and ya won't have a gorram balloon! _Dong ma xiao gui?"_

Both mother and daughter stuck their tongues out at the same time in response and River quickened her pace to head back to the ship. Jayne quickly followed as he saw some Feds starting to follow them.

"Crazy…next time we can gorram get her new one! I ain't bustin' my ass again for a ruttin balloon!"

"If you say so." River's voice sung in mockery.

"And if you do that mind trick on me again…making me do stuff…"

"It is not a trick, my-man-called-Jayne and it doesn't make you do anything! It is merely a projection of emotion into your brain pan."

"Whatever! Just don't do it again!"

River sighed.

"It wasn't me. Besides, you would still have done it, even if Seren didn't persuade you to."

She called that screaming in his head persuading? Jayne should have known.

With both his women able to know what was really going on his head, it wasn't much use in trying to fool them. He would do anything for his little star and crazy girl.

Even rescuing escaped butterfly balloons.


End file.
